This week, I'm headed back to Texas for the 2024 Musical Writers Festival!
I'll be leading a session called "You've Got a Friend: Dramaturgs and Musical Writers" with the lovely musical writer Kenady Sean. In this session, you can join us conversation to learn more about how dramaturgs are a musical writer’s best friend. You may be thinking... what in the world is a dramaturg? How do they help Musical Writers? What does that even look like? Join us to find out all about dramaturgs and consultations for musical writers with the chance to ask your own questions, too! If you're not headed to the whole festival but are local to DFW, you can join us for the New Works Cabaret on Friday Night or the New Works Spotlight Dinner & Presentation on Saturday night. Ticket links are below. I'm so excited to support new musicals & their writers this weekend! TICKETS:
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Dramaturgy is like pie.Pies have a multiplicity of flavors and a multiplicity of methods to create one flavor just as there are many types of dramaturgy and we each approach the practice of it differently. One baker may love to bake every kind of fruit pie, and another baker may have perfected a chocolate pie recipe, love to share it with others, or even found a way to make the recipe anew. One dramaturg may love all kinds of new play development, and another dramaturg may especially love to reimagine how to make Shakespeare accessible (looking at you, Play On Shakespeare).
I’m quite content that I got to share in the pie in Kansas City at this year’s LMDA conference, hosted by Kansas City Repertory Theatre. Thank you LMDA & Kansas City. I can’t wait for next year’s binational conference! (And a bit of #ispydramaturgy at the KC public library for their anniversary made my heart swoon!) I also want to uplift Mary Kathryn Nagle’s goal: to have every American theatre to produce a play by a native playwright. If you’re reading this, have you and yours produced a play by an indigenous playwright? Have you prioritized reading works by indigenous writers and witnessing work by indigenous devisers, actors, performance artists? MKN noted that theatres play a critical role in changing narratives just like this, by investing in people & connections. I’m starting by reading Nagle’s Sovereignty and then plan to go through the plays uploaded onto New Play Exchange alongside finally diving into Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Join me? I'd love some recommendations as well! 📸: @evanmichaelwoods
______________________ I spent my June in the presence of dozens of artists & community members & champions for the arts as part of Amphibian Stage's SparkFest again this year, and yet again have a just a singular photo to represent such a multi-faceted, vibrant experience. Within this photo are dozens of new play writers, directors, & actors whose care brought 3 plays to life at the developmental stage. There’s a mural on the far wall crafted beautifully, thoughtfully, and in community by Thu Anh Nguyen & Philippa Hughes. Performances by Arkai Music, Shafi Hossain, Umami Playground, local community storytellers, & our wonderful acting competition finalists filled this very space for 2 1/2 fantastic weeks. Hundreds of patrons came, invested, and engaged with artistic programming in a state that ranks #42 in state artistic funding. And yet, these weeks were filled with love and vibrant artistry. This photo also holds an arts admin team of Amphibian's staff & my superhero fellow apprentice Alex Voeller, from whom I learned so much and am excited to see go out and create more spaces for art in the world. All my love to each of you! 💚 |